This Privacy Policy explains how Dr Jacob Chin (Dr Chin Yu Hang Jacob) and his practice at Eye Surgeons @ Novena ("we", "us", "our") collect, use, disclose and protect your personal data, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 of Singapore ("PDPA"). It covers this website, drjacobchin.com, and the personal data we handle when you contact us or attend the clinic.
By using this website, contacting us or receiving care from us, you agree to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data as described in this policy.
1. What personal data we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Identity and contact details such as your name, mobile number, email address, NRIC, FIN or passport number, date of birth, nationality and address.
- Appointment details such as the reason for your visit, your preferred appointment time and any message you send us.
- Medical information such as your medical and eye history, symptoms, examination findings, diagnostic images and test results, diagnoses, treatment plans, medications, allergies and referral letters.
- Payment and insurance details such as billing information, MediSave, MediShield Life or Integrated Shield Plan details, corporate or insurance scheme membership and insurer pre-authorisation letters.
- Website usage data such as pages visited, taps on contact buttons, browser type, device type and approximate location, collected in aggregated form through analytics (see Section 6).
2. How we collect personal data
We collect personal data when you:
- submit the appointment enquiry form on this website;
- call, WhatsApp or email the clinic;
- register as a patient, complete clinic forms or sign consent documents;
- attend a consultation, undergo examinations or tests, or receive treatment;
- are referred to us by another doctor, hospital, laboratory, optometrist or insurer; or
- browse this website (see Section 6).
Where we receive your personal data from a third party, such as a referring doctor or insurer, we rely on that party having obtained the consent needed to share it with us.
3. How the website enquiry form works
The appointment enquiry form on this website asks for your name, mobile number, the reason for your visit, your preferred appointment time and, optionally, your email address and a short message.
When you submit the form, the details are sent directly to the clinic by email so that our staff can contact you to arrange an appointment. The website itself does not keep a copy of your submission. The email is delivered through a third-party email delivery service and the form is protected by an anti-spam check (Cloudflare) that may process technical information such as your IP address and browser characteristics to tell people apart from automated bots.
Please do not use the enquiry form for urgent symptoms. If you have a sudden change in vision, call the clinic at +65 6694 0400 during opening hours, or the 24-hour answering service at +65 6535 8833 outside opening hours.
4. Why we collect, use and disclose personal data
We collect, use and disclose personal data for the following purposes:
- to respond to your enquiries and arrange, confirm, reschedule or cancel appointments;
- to provide medical consultation, diagnosis, treatment, surgery and follow-up care;
- to maintain accurate medical records as required by law and professional guidelines;
- to process payments, MediSave claims and insurance claims, and to issue invoices, receipts and medical reports;
- to refer you to, or coordinate your care with, other doctors, hospitals, laboratories and healthcare providers;
- to send appointment reminders and information relevant to your care;
- to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including those under the Healthcare Services Act, the Medical Registration Act, the Singapore Medical Council's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines and requests from the Ministry of Health and other authorities;
- to handle feedback, complaints, audits and quality assurance; and
- to operate, secure and improve this website.
We do not use your personal data for marketing unless you have separately agreed to receive such messages, and you may withdraw that agreement at any time.
5. Who we share personal data with
We may disclose your personal data, only to the extent necessary for the purposes above, to:
- other healthcare professionals, hospitals, day surgery centres, laboratories and imaging providers involved in your care;
- Eye Surgeons @ Novena, where the clinic is located, for registration, billing and facility purposes;
- insurers, third-party administrators, corporate healthcare schemes and the Central Provident Fund Board, for MediSave and insurance claims;
- service providers who support our operations, such as clinic management software, email delivery, website hosting and analytics providers, who are bound to keep your data confidential and to use it only on our instructions; and
- government agencies, regulators, courts and law enforcement, where required by law.
We do not sell personal data to anyone.
Where personal data is involved, we take steps to ensure it is protected to a standard comparable to the PDPA, as the Act requires.
6. Cookies and website analytics
This website uses Google Analytics to count visits and taps on the contact buttons. Google Analytics sets cookies and collects technical information such as the pages you view, your browser and device type and an approximate location derived from your IP address. Advertising and remarketing features are switched off, IP addresses are not stored in full, and the analytics data does not include your name, contact details or anything you type into the enquiry form.
You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings, or use a browser extension that opts you out of Google Analytics. The website will still work without cookies.
The website hosting provider may keep short-lived server logs, including IP addresses, for security and performance purposes.
7. WhatsApp and other messaging
You may contact the clinic on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is operated by Meta and is subject to Meta's own privacy policy, which we do not control. We use WhatsApp to respond to enquiries. Please avoid sending detailed medical information, medical images or identity documents over WhatsApp, and note that messages may be retained on your device and on WhatsApp's servers.
8. How we protect personal data
We take reasonable administrative, physical and technical measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal or similar risks. These include restricting access to medical records to staff who need them for your care, using clinic systems with access controls, and transmitting website data over encrypted connections. No method of storage or transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute security, but we will act promptly if we become aware of a data breach and notify affected individuals and the Personal Data Protection Commission where the PDPA requires it.
9. How long we keep personal data
We keep personal data for as long as it is needed for the purposes it was collected for, or for as long as the law requires. Medical records are retained in line with the Ministry of Health's requirements for private healthcare institutions. Website enquiry emails are kept only for as long as needed to arrange your appointment and are then handled under the clinic's usual record-keeping practices. When personal data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised.
10. Your rights
Under the PDPA you may:
- Access the personal data we hold about you and find out how it has been used or disclosed in the past year;
- Correct an error or omission in your personal data; and
- Withdraw consent to our continued collection, use or disclosure of your personal data, by giving us reasonable notice.
To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond within the timeframes set by the PDPA. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request, and a reasonable fee may apply to access requests, which we will tell you about in advance. Some records, such as medical records, must be retained by law and cannot be deleted on request. Withdrawing consent may mean we are unable to continue providing care, and we will explain the consequences before you decide.
11. Children and persons under 21
If a patient is under 21 years of age, or lacks the capacity to give consent, we may collect personal data from, and rely on the consent of, a parent or legal guardian. A parent or guardian may exercise the rights in Section 10 on the patient's behalf.
12. Contact us
If you have a question about this policy, want to exercise your rights, or believe your personal data has been mishandled, please contact us:
Data Protection Officer, Eye Surgeons @ Novena Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital 38 Irrawaddy Road #09-28, Singapore 329563 Telephone: +65 6694 0400 Email: novena@eyesurgeons.com.sg
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Commission at www.pdpc.gov.sg.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practice, our website or the law. The latest version, with its date, will always be published on this page. Your continued use of the website or our services after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy.